α-Methyltryptamine (also known as Indopan and commonly as αMT or aMT) is a lesser-known entactogen substance of the tryptamine class.[1]

αMT was originally developed by Upjohn in the 1960s.[2] It was briefly used in the Soviet Union as an antidepressant under the trade name Indopan.[3][4][5][6]
Indopan was prescribed in 5-10 mg doses, which is significantly lower than the dose used for recreational effects.

Erowid has received "a handful of unverifiable reports of hospitalization after high-dose (over 60 mg oral) αMT ingestion."[7]
There were 22 deaths linked to αMT in England and Wales where the drug became popular as a legal high from 2012 until it was banned in early 2015.[8]

Limited data exists about the pharmacological properties, metabolism, and toxicity of aMT, and it has a limited history of non-medical human use.
It is highly advised to use harm reduction practices if using this substance.

Chemistry

αMT, or α-Methyltryptamine is a synthetic indole alkaloid molecule of the tryptamine class. Tryptamines share a core structure comprised of a bicyclic indole heterocycle attached at R3 to an amino group via an ethyl side chain. AMT is substituted at the alpha carbon Rα of its tryptamine backbone with a methyl group.

AMT is found in freebase form as a racemate of its (R-) and (S-) enantiomers.[9]

Subjective effects

The effects listed below are based upon the subjective effects index and personal experiences of PsychonautWikicontributors. These effects should be taken with a grain of salt and will rarely (if ever) occur all at once, but heavier doses will increase the chances of inducing a full range of effects. Likewise, adverse effects become much more likely on higher doses and may include serious injury or death.

Physical effects

Stimulation - Regarding its effects on the physical energy levels of the user, AMT tends to be very stimulating, resulting in jaw clenching and a shakiness and unsteadiness of the hands. The stimulation encourages the user to move around, run, dance, climb or engage in physical activities. In comparison, other common psychedelics such as psilocybin are sedating and relaxed.

Spontaneous bodily sensations - AMT's "body high" can be described as an intense and constant all-encompassing sensation. In comparison to other psychedelics, this sensation does not manifest itself in the form of a continuously shifting tingling sensation that travels up and down the body spontaneously; it is instead felt like an extended, unchanging activation of every nerve ending on the body that lasts throughout the entire duration of the experience. This continuous sensation is immensely pleasurable but can become overwhelmingly intense and almost a burden at higher levels.

Visual effects

The visual effects of AMT are mostly present only when large doses have been consumed and are proportionally mild in comparison to the intensity of its accompanying cognitive and physical effects when compared to substances such as LSD and psilocin.

Symmetrical texture repetition - In comparison to more commonly used psychedelics such as LSD and psilocin, this effect is significantly less intricate and complex although it is still very distinct in its presence.

The visual geometry produced by aMT can be described as more similar in appearance to that of Psilocin, and 2C-E than LSD. At lower levels it can appear to be bland and simplistic in complexity but becomes equal regarding intricacy and depth to that of any of the classical psychedelics at higher doses. It can be comprehensively described with its variations as intricate in complexity (at heavy dosages), abstract in form, organic in feel, structured in organization, brightly lit, multicoloured in scheme, glossy in shading, equal in soft and sharp edges, small in size, fast in speed, smooth in motion, equal in round and angular corners, non-immersive in depth, and consistent in intensity. At higher dosages, the visual geometry is significantly more likely to result in states of Level 8B geometry over Level 8A.

Hallucinatory states

Internal hallucination (autonomous entities; settings, sceneries, and landscapes; perspective hallucinations and scenarios and plots) - This particular effect is uncommon during the first half of the trip but capable of manifesting itself towards the end of the experience, particularly if sleep deprivation starts to take its toll due to the abnormally long duration. The internal hallucinations are more common within dark environments and can be comprehensively described through their variations as lucid in believability, fixed in style, new experiences in content, autonomous in controllability, geometry-based in style and almost exclusively of a personal, religious, spiritual, science-fiction, fantasy, surreal, nonsensical or transcendental nature in their overall theme.

Cognitive effects

In comparison to more traditional psychedelics such as LSD, DMT and Psilocin, the AMT head space is described as not nearly as deep, insightful or profound.
The total sum of these cognitive components regardless of the setting generally includes:

Empathy, affection, and sociability enhancement - This effect is consistently manifested mainly in the context of social settings in which one is within the company of others. These feelings of sociability, love and empathy are a little weaker and less sharp than with MDMA.

The toxicity and long-term health effects of recreational αMT use do not seem to have been studied in any scientific context and the exact toxic dose is unknown. This is because AMT is a research chemical with very little history of human usage.

It is worth noting that αMT's analog αET has been shown to produce long-lasting serotonergic neurotoxicity at very high doses.[15] It is possible that AMT could cause the same neurotoxicity at high dosages or with repeated long-term use.

Anecdotal reports suggest that there are no negative health effects attributed to simply trying aMT by itself at low to moderate doses and using it very sparingly (but nothing can be completely guaranteed). Independent research should always be done to ensure that a combination of two or more substances is safe before consumption.

Tolerance and addiction potential

AMT is considered to be moderately habit-forming.

Tolerance to the effects of αMT are built almost immediately after ingestion. After that, it takes about 14 days for the tolerance to be reduced to half and 1 month to be back at baseline (in the absence of further consumption). AMT presents cross-tolerance with all psychedelics, meaning that after the consumption of αMT all psychedelics will have a reduced effect.